Stronach 5 Highlighted by Field of 12 in $65,000 Cellars Shiraz Stakes

By David Joseph —-

Stronach 5 Highlighted by Field of 12 in $65,000 Cellars Shiraz Stakes

BALTIMORE – The Stronach 5 will offer an interesting puzzle for bettors Friday with several new faces arriving at Gulfstream Park for the $65,000 Cellars Shiraz and a stakes-quality optional allowance claiming event on the turf at Laurel Park.

The Stronach 5, which also includes a field of 10 going a mile at Golden Gate Fields, will kick off at approximately 3:49 ET and once again feature a low 12-percent takeout.

The Stronach 5 begins with Laurel’s seventh race, a 5 ½ furlong maiden event for 2-year-old fillies which drew a dozen including first-time starters from Brittany Russell, Michael Trombetta, Jeremiah O’Dwyer, Ferris Allen and Lacey Gaudet. Leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez will saddle American Barb, fifth over a muddy track in her debut Oct. 16 at Charles Town.

Gulfstream’s eighth race, the Cellars Shiraz for 3-year-old fillies at a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta, will serve as the second leg of the Stronach 5. An influx of out-of-towners have entered including Bellissime, who has two wins over all-weather for trainer Brendon Walsh. Mademoiselle Nova ships in for trainer Mark Casse after winning her last two starts at Woodbine. Casse has also entered Inthewinnerscircle, fourth last out in the Dueling Grounds Oaks. Leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will saddle a pair in Tik Tok Famous and Champagne Ivy, second and third last time out respectively in the Miss Gracie at Gulfstream. Alpha Zulu, trained by Kelsey Danner, broke her maiden at Colonial before finishing fourth at Monmouth under allowance conditions.

Laurel’s eighth race, the third leg of the sequence, features fillies and mares going six furlongs on the turf. Can the Queen is one of the likely favorites with two victories in her last three starts including the Sensible Lady Turf Dash at Pimlico in July. Tim Keefe will saddle Dendrobia, second in the Jameela in July at Pimlico. Two-time stakes winner Dontletsweetfoolya is entered for main track only. Triplet, seventh last out over a sloppy track, was competitive against this class in August when racing on the turf.

Golden Gate Fields plays host to the fourth leg of the Stronach 5. The mile maiden claiming event ($12,500) sees trainer Jonathan Wong sending out Luvtheoneurwith, who drops a bit in class after placing second or third in six of his first seven starts. Even Steven draws the rail and also drops in class after finishing second against $30,000 maiden claimers in September. The son of Connect comes into the race off a fifth-place finish on the turf against maiden special weight company

The Stronach 5 concludes at Gulfstream with its 10th race and fillies and mares maiden claimers going five furlongs on the Tapeta. Bordeaux Legacy, beaten a neck last out against this same company, will be one of the favorites along with Driving Wind, who finished three-quarters of a length behind Bordeaux Legacy last time out.

Friday’s races and sequence

Leg One –Laurel Race 7: (12 entries, 5 ½ furlongs) 3:49 ET, 12:49 PT
Leg Two –Gulfstream Race 8: (12 entries, mile and 70 yards) 4 ET, 1PT
Leg Three –Laurel Race 8: (10 entries, 6 furlongs turf) 4:24 ET, 1:24 PT
Leg Four – Golden Gate Race 4: (10 entries, 1 mile) 4:46 ET, 1:46 PT
Leg Five –Gulfstream Race 10: (10 entries, 5 furlongs) 5:04 ET, 2:04 PT

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

ABOUT THE STRONACH GROUP AND 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The company’s consumer facing brand 1/ST (pronounced “First”) powers The Stronach Group’s forward-thinking 1/ST RACING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY, 1/ST EXPERIENCE, and 1/ST PROPERTIES businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred horse racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING drives the best-in-class horse racing operations at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, Gulfstream Park West and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course – home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the newly formed operating group for all of 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, GWS and XBTV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is horse racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. 1/ST PROPERTIES is responsible for the development of the company’s live, work and play communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred horse racing on and off the track. For more information, please email david.joseph@marylandracing.com and visit www.1st.com.